Getting Ready for Kindergarten

It’s that time of year again! The school buses are beginning to roll through the neighborhoods, and parents with children who will be going to kindergarten this fall are thinking about how to make their child’s transition from child care to kindergarten as seamless as possible.  Helping your child prepare for kindergarten is more than just being sure that he or she has the intellectual skills to be successful in school.  You and your child’s child care provider can help him succeed by working together to anticipate your child’s social, emotional, and physical needs.  Working as a team, there are some things that you can do together to make the transition easier. 

• Schedule a time to talk about the physical aspects of school. Open the discussion by telling him you know that he might have some questions about his new school, such as what time school begins and ends, will he ride the bus, is there a place for his things, and what type of food is served for lunch?  

• Try to address his emotional concerns beforehand. Sometimes children can’t articulate their concerns, but most worry about things such as whether other children will like them, if they will be able to succeed academically, or even what will happen if there is a big storm while they’re at school.  

      If your child has been attending a quality child care program during his preschool years, you have made a good decision. Research has shown that children who attend quality child care are more successful in school. According to a 2004 article by Rimm-Kaufman, published in the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, “early predictors of school success point to the contribution of …sensitive and stimulating family processes, and…quality child-care environments.”

So, relax and enjoy this important transition in your child’s life!